Manchester City youngster Ashley Smith-Brown has stated that his versatility has proven to be a blessing as well as curse regarding his development as a player.

Smith-Brown is regarded as one of the hottest prospects in City's Elite Development Squad and has been tipped for a bright future in the game.

A natural left-back, Smith-Brown can be deployed at various different positions and the youngster has now gone on to state that while such versatility can be very useful to the team, it can also prove to be counterproductive in his development.

The 19-year old told the Manchester Evening News: "Last year I played about four, five positions and they say 'I think you're best position is here' and I say no, I think it's here. It's a negative and a positive at the same time.

"You're versatile but you also want to nail down a position. It can be a problem but it's always good to be in the starting XI."